There are many self-help programs that include a selection of eye exercises to help you to reduce or eliminate your dependency on contacts or glasses. These eye exercises have been a popular form of treatment since the early 1920s.

While there are some programs that are selling nothing but hype, the truth is that there are thousands of studies that support the fact that regular, consistent eye exercises, over a period of time, can improve your vision. One example of the tried and proven eye exercise program is the Rebuild Your Vision Program.

Can Eye Exercises Improve Vision Acuity?

In order to understand how eye exercises can improve the acuity of your vision, you first have to consider the basic anatomy of the eye, and how this impacts how the eye refracts light. In cases such as farsightedness, astigmatism and nearsightedness, the vision issues related are associated with a misshapen eye. For example:

• Farsighted people have eyeballs that are too short, and therefore are unable to focus on objects that are near due to the light rays entering the eye beyond the focus point on the retina.

• Nearsighted people have eyeballs that are too long and the light rays “fall short” of reaching the focus point on the retina.

• Those with astigmatism have an irregular shaped cornea. In some cases astigmatism is the result of the lens of the eye being misshapen. These types of irregularities will cause the light rays that enter your eye to create different points of focus, which results in blurry vision.

• Presbyopia is a condition that occurs when the lens of the eye loses its elasticity and cannot move to accommodate the need to focus at more than one distance. This can cause blurry vision and is usually detected around the age of 40.

When you perform eye exercises you will be moving the muscles of the eye in various motions including side-to-side, up-and-down and in a circular motion. This is technically a workout for your eyes, which will strengthen the muscles and make it stronger, improving your vision.

If you are considering a natural eye exercise program to help improve your vision you should consider the following questions:

• Can the exercises make the shape of your eye change?

• Can eye exercises change the basic shape of the cornea as well as the way in which light rays actually enter your eye to achieve focus?

• Can the exercises reshape the irregular surface?

• Can the exercises restore elasticity of the lens as you age?

Recent studies have proven that a regular regimen of eye exercises can actually alter the shape of your eye. Additionally, you can train your eyes to see better in various ways. Some of the methods that are able to increase your vision acuity include eye patching, eye massage, biofeedback and muscle relaxation.

Each of these different methods will work together to improve your vision, however the amount of success that is gained will be dependent on the specific eye condition you have, as well as how dedicated you are to the eye exercise program. When you first start out with these exercises, you need to spend time each day (roughly 30 minutes) exercising the eye muscles. However, once you have achieved vision improvement, you can space the exercises out.

Tips to Improve Acuity with Eye Exercises

In addition to regular eye exercises, there are other natural ways that you can help improve your eye acuity. One way is to move away from the television screen. Sitting close to the screen can make your eyes strain, which can lead to poor vision acuity.

If you work at a computer all day, take regular breaks to rest your eyes. Did you know that when you focus on a television or computer screen you blink almost 50 percent less than when you participate in other activities? As a result, your eyes can become strained easily, without you noticing. This can lead to serious vision problems, including poor eye acuity.

It is suggested that every 10 or so minutes of computer work you take a minute to rest your eyes. This includes blinking rapidly for 10 to 15 seconds and then keeping your eyes closed for approximately 45 seconds. This break gives your eyes a chance to recover and reduce the strain, thus helping to prevent a loss of vision acuity.

Screening and Prevention

Of course the best way to avoid eye and vision problems is to prevent them. This means having regular eye check-ups and monitoring any vision changes closely. Instead of choosing risky and costly surgery, consider the natural, holistic approach of eye exercises.

These have been proven to aid a wide array of vision issues, which will then actually improve your eye acuity, helping you to see things in more clear, concise details. In many cases, this can reduce or eliminate your dependency on glasses and contacts.